The New Orleans Saints will likely hang onto who will become the interim to the interim once interim coach Joe Vitt serves his six-game suspension as close to the start of the regular season as possible. Three names - offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer - have been the primary candidates since the suspensions were announced and upheld by the NFL.

Tackle Zach Strief contends the Saints players are still in the dark as to who will take over and when they will find out. Strief said dubbing Kromer as the fill-in for Vitt, though, would make sense.

"I know playing for the guy, it's obviously going to be a guy that's going to be a head coach one day," Strief said. "I think he has that personality and he has that type of knowledge. I think he has the respect of guys. That being said, they haven't told us. I think that's been an assumption up to this point. If that's the case, then we'll move on and deal with that. I think he'd do a good job."

Strief said if Kromer becomes the next coach to take over in the absence of Coach Sean Payton, the offensive linemen understand plenty of Kromer's responsibilities will be outside of their meeting room. He added the O-line group could handle the possible temporary transition.

"There's a couple of things that we have going for us that people probably don't understand and realize," Strief said. "Number one: we have a lot of continuity with this room. There's not much that we haven't seen together. I don't think we necessarily have to have him there all day everyday to get the information that we need. Another thing that I think is important is that we've had a coach in that room with coach Kromer, and (assistant offensive line coach) Frank (Smith) does a great job.

"He's a guy that C.J. (Tulane Coach Curtis Johnson) tried to bring with him knowing he's a talented coach. So we have a guy who's going to step in. And it's really the same mentality we have to have as players. When someone goes down, next guy up. That's what the coaching staff has to do too. And we're fortunate that we have a guy we all feel very confident walking into the room and taking over the meetings and taking over practice for us."